Staple driving machine



H. EFFGEN STAPLE DRIVING MACHINE Sept. 15, 1964 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 19, 1962 mun" NVENTOR.

HANS EFFGEN ATTORNEYS United States Patent $3,148,373 STAPLE nruva JG MAtClfiNE lass Efigen, Globe Tool Gage Works, Inc,

575 Albany Sh, Westwood, Mass. Filed Feb. 19, 1962, Ser. N 173,947 1 tllaim. (El. 1-3.1}

This invention relates to machines for driving staples, particularly staples which consist of a flat head with two legs projecting downward from opposite points on the periphery of the head. It is an object of the invention to provide a machine which is simple in structure and can be rapidly operated, the machine including a magazine or hopper to hold a substantial supply of staples and to feed them to an inclined slide for delivery to the driving mechanism, the feeding mechanism being such as to maintain an adequate supply of staples on the inclined slide even when the driving mechanism is being rapidly operated.

Another improved feature of the machine is a unitary driving guide through which the staples are driven one by one to a work piece which is on an anvil below the guide.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description thereof and to the drawings, of which FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a machine embodying the invention, portions being broken awa FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view, on a larger scale, of part of the magazine or hopper shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 33 of FIGURE 1, on a larger scale;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view, on a larger scale, of some of the parts shown in FZGURE 1; and

FEGURE 5 is a small scale elevaticnal view of the hopper and the exterior portion of the feeding track.

The machine shown on the drawings has a main frame on which is mounted a head 12, a magazine or hopper 14 and an anvil 16. Extending across the interior of the hopper is a partition member 18 with an inclined top edge 26 which is grooved as at 22 to form a track down which staples S can slide. The partition member 18 with its inclined top edge projects out beyond the front wall 24 of the hopper, there being a clearance above the top edge or track where it passes through the wall 24, forming an exit hole 26 through which staples S can slide from within the hopper to the point of delivery to the driving means hereinafter described.

It is desirable at times to operate the driving mechanism rapidly and to ensure a continuous supply of staples on the feeding rail. For this purpose an elevating blade is provided at each face of the partition member 1%, these blades 30, 32 being vertically reciprocable in opposite phase to lift staples from the heaps in the hopper to the top of the partition member 18 where some of them land right side up with their legs extending down into the groove 22 so that these staples can slide down the inclined track 20.

The top edge 34 of each of the blades 3'13, 32 is bevelled (FIGURE 3) so that its surface slopes down toward the partition member 18 so that staples raised by the blades tend to move over onto the track 29 when they are raised up to its level.

To prevent excess staples lifted by the blades 34?, 32 from blocking the exit 2%, each blade carries a brush 40 which may be in the form of a strip of spring metal. Each of these brushes is mounted at its lower end on the side of its respective blade facing the partition 18 and adjacent to the forward edge of the blade. The upper end portion 42 of each brush 49 is bent toward the partition 18 and the shank 44 of the brush is shaped so that the end 42 of the brush is pressed lightly against the partition 18 Patented Sept. 15, 1964 when it is below the top edge of the partition 18. The blades 39, 32 are reciprocated by any suitable means such as a power driven shaft 5 having cranks 52, 54 which are connected to respective blades by pitmans 56, 58. When each blade rises, the other descends so that the brush 4%? on the rising blade can push into the opposite compartment of the hopper any extra staples which may 7 have been deposited on the track adjacent to the exit 25.

In this manner plenty of staples are lifted onto the track and the exit hole is kept clear so that the staples on the track can slide through the exit and on down to the lower end of the track at the driving mechanism.

For driving staples, a solenoid 6% is mounted on the head 12 to actuate a vertical plunger 62 which extends down through a guide member 64 to the anvil 16 when at the end of its driving stroke. The guide member 64 is slabbed off on one side as at 66 to provide an opening 68 through its side to receive staples from the track 29 into its interior in position to be driven down therein to the anvil 16. Secured to the guide member 64 is a crosspiece 7! which serves to keep the guide member properly oriented so that the slab side 56 is always presented to the end of the track 2%. The cross-piece 7%) is connected by springs 72 to the head 12 so that the guide member is yieldingly supported. The bore in the guide member through wmch the lower portion of the drivin plunger slides is slightly less in diameter than the head of a staple S so that when a staple enters through the lateral opening 63, it resists downward movement through the lower part of the guide 64. When the solenoid 6t} is energized to drive the plun er 62 downward, the resistance of the staple within the guide 64 causes the latter to move downward against the pull of the springs 72 until the crosspiece 7% hits stop elements 74 when the lower end of the guide 6 almost touches the workpiece on the anvil 16. Further downward movement of the plunger 62 then forces the staple down through the lower portion of the guide to pierce the work-piece and to be clinched on the anvil 16. To avoid trouble in the operation of the plunger 62. which might be caused by too tight a lit of a staple within the guide 64, the lower part of the guide is spiit as at 76, the split extending up from the lower end to a level above the lateral opening so that the jaws '78, 8t formed by the split can yield slightly away from each other to prevent a tightly fitting staple from sticking strongly within the guide ea. T he operation of the solenoid may be controlled by an ordinary pedal switch (not shown) as well known in the art.

I claim:

In a staple driving machine, a hopper having an exit hole in the wall thereof, an inclined track extending downwardly across the interior of said hopper to and through said exit hole, a feeder blade vertically reciprocable at each side of said track within the hopper, means for reciprocating said blades in opposite phase, and means attached to each side blade for dislodging excess staples at said exit hole when rising with the blade to which it is attached, said dislodging means consisting of a strip of thin spring material secured at its lower end to its respective blade and extending upwardly to approximately the upper edge of the blade, the upper end portion of the strip extending at an angle to the shards thereof to project across said track near said exit hole when the blade to which it is attached is in its elevated position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNiTED STATES PATENTS 622,476 Hubbell Apr. 4, 1899 2,108,694 Smith Feb. 15, 1938 2,768,378 Zwick a- Oct. 30, 1956 2,819,465 Mcllvin Jan. 14, 1958 

